Appellate & Litigation Practice

Our firm is renowned for its trial and appellate work on complex cases raising novel issues of political, public, policy, and constitutional importance.

For over thirty years, our attorneys have successfully defended clients' trial court victories, reversed erroneous trial court rulings, filed original writs at all levels of the California courts, and prepared amicus curiae briefs on behalf of clients who wish to raise issues in cases brought by other parties.

Our clients include political candidates, city and county governments, state government agencies, ballot measure committees, nonprofit organizations and associations, the California Legislature, the Governor and other constitutional officers.

Currently representing Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. and Director of Finance Michael Cohen in a lawsuit challenging the use of approximately $350 million of settlement funds awarded to the State as part of the National Mortgage Settlement, a $25 billion settlement with five of the largest U.S. mortgage servicers, and the federal government and 49 states.

Filed amicus curiae brief on behalf of the California Teachers Association in support of the State’s efforts to restructure California’s redevelopment agencies and provide additional funding for California’s public schools.

Represented the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction in a successful challenge to the State Board of Education's effort to force schools to comply with an unfunded mandate that all eighth graders take Algebra I.

Won reversal of district court’s ruling that would have required the State to pay interest on unclaimed property, while successfully defending district court victory that shields the State from exposure to an award of damages.

Filed amicus curiae brief on behalf of the League of California Cities and California State Association of Counties in case defending the rights of local governments to expend public funds informing citizens of the effects of upcoming ballot measures.

Represented the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, together with the Attorney General, in successfully defending against a constitutional challenge to Proposition 71 (initiative funding stem cell research in California) at the trial and appellate court levels.

Represented proponents of Proposition 10 (initiative establishing the First Five Commissions) as interveners in successful defense, first during three-week trial and then on appeal, of the constitutionality of Proposition 10.